We arrived at school at 6.30 am, put all our luggage into our school van, and at 6.45 am headed to Borderlands, Kitulgala. The bus ride lasted about 2 and a half hours and at about 8.40 am we arrived at Borderlands, which dedicates itself to giving people the experience of a lifetime.

The 1st day of our trip was the day I stepped out of my comfort zone. At about 9.00 am we geared ourselves up with all the safety equipment (helmets, yellow life jackets) and headed down to the 4th longest river in Sri Lanka, the Kelani River. Once we got our boats and learned all the techniques and what we should do if one of us falls into the river, we got into our boats and started rowing into the rapids. The experience was scary but good and also very refreshing. the river was strong and cold and every time we were approaching a wave, I felt my whole body just brace for impact but after we went through it, it was the best feeling ever.

 

We spent the next two days exploring Kithulgala. We visited a hydraulic power plant in the Kithulgala and visited ‘Kithulgala Belilena.’ ‘Lena’ in Sinhalese translates to ‘cave.’ This ancient cave holds an important place in Sri Lankan history and culture, it used to be a settlement for prehistoric men and women 15,000 years ago.

During our stay in Kithulgala, we got to do some canyoning on the first day too. It was pretty scary, especially when you hit the water after you slide into the river. Diving into pools of water was a pretty good experience too. After the canyoning, we decided to end the day by going back to camp. We were tired, exhausted but it was all worth it. One of the first few words which our instructor told us regarding the River was about ‘Respect.’ If we treated the river with respect, you wouldn’t find yourself in predicaments. And we did respect it. We could’ve found ourselves in very difficult situations such as a person drowning or getting lost but since we had that respect towards what this river was capable of, we took the time to learn emergency drills, techniques, and lessons that would keep us safe. I feel this applies in life too. Giving due Respect to important things in our lives can help us act accordingly and be successful no matter what the situation we find ourselves in. The trip was an unforgettable experience, where I discovered that I enjoyed rafting the rapids of the Kelani River and learnt a lesson about respect which will be a part of me forever.